Kail way track scale



(No Model.) 10 Sheets-Sheet 1 T. H. WARD.

RAILWAY TRACK SCALE.

Patented Dec.26,1882.

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(No Model.) 10 Sheets-Sheet 2.

. T. H. WARD.

RAILWAY TRACK SCALE.

Patented Dec. 26, 1882.

N. PETERS. Phnwumo n hr. Washington D. C.

10 Sheets-Sheet a. T. H. WARD.

RAILWAY TRACK SCALE.

(No Model.)

N0.269.752. Patnted Deo.26, 1882.

Ok /F mm mw QWM 38m (No Model.) 10 Sheets-Sheet 4.

T. H. WARD.

RAILWAY TRACK SCALE. No. 269,752. Patented Dec.26,1882.

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10 Sheets-Sheet 6. T. H. WARD.

RAILWAY TRACK SCALE.

Patented Dec. 26, 1882.

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(No Model.) 10 Sheets-Sheet 7.

T. H. WARD.

RAILWAY TRACK SCALE.

mlllqlgfi H Patented Dec 6,1882.

PETERS. Pnmn-Lmgnpiwr. Wmgton. n. c.

(No Model.) 10 Sheets-Sheet 8-.

T. H. WARD.

RAILWAY TRACK SCALE.

No. 269,752. Patented Deo.26, 1882.

10 Sheets-Sheet 9.

(No Model.)

T. H. WARD.

RAILWAY TRACK SCALE.

mm v Lm D I I Vm.- NM\\\ m. u L m UNITED STATES PATENT Farce,

THOMAS H. WARD, OF 'IIPTON, COUNTY OF STAFFORD, ENGLAND.

RAl LWAY-TRACK SCALE.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent No. 269,752, dated December26, 15.8.2,

Application filed April 10, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, THOMAS HENRY \VARD, (ofthe firm of Howl, \Vard 8t HowL) a subject of the Queen of GreatBritain, and residing at Tipton, in the county of Stafford, England,have invented certain Improvements in Weighing Machines or Apparatus,(for which I have obtained a patent in Great Britain, No. 3,580, datedAugust 17, l88l,) of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class ofapparatus known as platformweighing-machines, more particularly suitable for weighing loads onrailway or tramway trucks, and ithas reference to improvements upon theplatform weighirig-machine described in the specification to BritishLetters Patent granted to me, dated the 6th of November, 1876, No.4,294,, in which the weight of a load is ascertained by measuring thedeflection from its normal path ofstruts, tumblers, or rockers, upon theprinciple of the parallelogram of forces, the object of my presentinvention being to produce an apparatus of more economical constructionwithout impairing its etliciency and detracting l'rom the mathematicalprecision of its indications.

In carrying out my invention two rails, corresponding and forming acontinuation of the rails on which the truck runs, are carried upongirders rocking upon knife-edges, which are fixed to, say, two, three,or any other suitable number of struts, tumblers, or rockers. Thelatter, having a motion perfectly parallel to each other, rock ordeflect on lower knife-edges constituting fulcra, which form the base orfoundation plate or plates of the machine. In order to insure perfectparallel motion, the fulcra are rigidly secured together, while therocking girders above fix the top knife-edges. To any one of theserockers is attached a horizontal lever, the outer end of which bearsupon a plunger, which is let into a shallow cylinder containingliquid.

In order to make a liquid-tightjoint and to allow the plunger free playat the same time, and yet avoid the friction due to ordinary hydraulicleather packing, I interpose a diaphragm of leather or india-rubber, ora corrugated metallicdiaphragm between the plunger and the liquid,fixing it to the cylinder watertight. The liquid in this cylinder isconveyed into the office through a small pipe, (under neath the floorfor convenience,) which may terminatein an inverted siphon of mercury,so that any pressure of water is communicated to the mercury and forcedup the far leg. Up to'the present point the apparatus is induplicate-that is to say, there is one complete appa 'atus l'or eachrail, the two being independent of each other. The far legs oi'each orthese mercurial siphons are connected together by means of abreeches-pipe discharging itself into one glass tube common to these twosiphons, which is carried up the wall through the floor and extends upthe wall of theoliice. This tube is graduated-say, from floor toceiling-and contains a column ofliquid which will show by its rise andfall (as actuated by the two mercurial siphons) the resultant load ofthe two sides of the truck, so that the machine is automatic. Athumb-screw plug is inserted in the breeches-pipe, so that any leakageor evaporation or expansion and contraction of the liquid or mercury canbe adjusted to the graduations from time to time. The knife-edges are sowide, and each machine is so short in height, that there is no tendencyto tip them over when the load comes on. Hence there is no necessity fortying the mtehine down or together at all.

In order to insure that the wagons shall be drawn onto the machine withas littlejerk as possible, an elevated portion or rail the exact heightof the track is provided, situated between and l'orming a continuationof the rails of the track and of the apparatus, with suitable clearancebetween. The said elevated portions may be cast in one with the outerfulcra-plates, and may serve also as chairs upon which to rest the endsof the rails of the track,whereby the tendencyto spring is greatlyprevented.

In order to prevent a sudden flow of the liq aid as the load comes onthe machine, which would have a tendency to force the mercury over thebreeches-pipe, the water in the cylinders has communication with thepipes only through very small pin-drill holes, so that whatever the loadmay be the rise and fall of the liquid is retarded. Hence it is steadyin its action.

It will be understood that by the foregoing arrangements the ordinaryplatform extending from side to side may be dispensed with.

The measuring apparatus may be modified by the empioyment ot' IflClKiHHLPllllOll gear, and a spring may be used as a resistance to eachapparatus, as in the weighing-machine described in the specification toformer B itish Letters Patent granted to me, dated the 4th of October,1877. No. 3,700. The measuring-gear may also be otherwise modified, ashereinafter describetl. The measuring-gear, it will be evident, may bein duplicatein one or more offices. The machine itself may also bemodified by connectin the rails and girders at each side together andsupporting them on rockers, one pair being fixed on a shaft common tothe two rockers, .the torsion of which shaft is resisted through a leverconnected to a Salters springhalance or toother levers for indicatingthe weight. Similar shafts may connect the other pair or pairs ofrockers.

In order that my said invention may be fully understood I shall nowproceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purposeshall refer to the several figures on the annexed sheets of drawings,the same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in all thefigures.

Figure 1 represents in longitudinal or side elevation, and Fig. 2 intransverse section, apparatus constructed according, to my saidiiivention. Figs. 3 to 14 represent details thereof, some of which are.drawn to an enlarged scale, as hereinafter described. Figs. 15 to 20represent modifications thereof, also hereinafter described.

()t' the two rails of the line upon which the truck runs and with whichmy weighing apparatus is combined the one shown in the drawings ismarked A. 1 will describe the arrangement as applied to one rail of apair of rails, it being understood that the other rail of the pair has aprecisely-similar arrangement oombiued therewith, as seen clearly inFig. 2.

In each line, and forming a continuation thereof, is a rail, 13, carriedby girders b, the said rail B being furnished at its under part atintervals with lugs b through which and through the said gliders bolts bare passed anti lasteued by nuts to secure the said rails B to the saidgirders l). as shown clearly in Figs. 7 and 8, which are transversesections taken the one on a line. between two of the said bolts and theother in a line with one of the said bolts. The rail is provided on itsunder side with female knife-edges 1/, formed in strips let into slotsin projecting; parts ot the said under side of the rail. The two endknifeetlges each rest upon a male knife-edge similarly formed on strips0 let into struts, tumblers, or rockers c, furnished at their lowerparts with similar strips 0 having female knifeedges formed therein andresting in the case ofthe end rockers upon male knifeedges formed onsimilar strips, 0?, let into a projection, e, from the chair E, which issituated at each end of the said rail B, the knife-edge upon which themiddle rocker rests beingcarried by a chair. E". The rockers (J arepreferably broader at their lower part than at their upper, the.knil'e-cd cos c and d being similarly broader-than the knifeedges 1) and0 to give a firm base to the appa ratus. In order to preserve the properrelative position of these knife-edges d, which form the base upon whichthe apparatus acts, their ends are let into longitudinal braces D. Fig.9 is a section of the chairs and knifeedges and theircont]ecting-braces, and Fig. 10 is a plan of the said knife-edges andbraces. Fig. 11 is a transverse section, drawn to an enlarged scale, ofone of the chairs, W, with its knife-edge (1, showing also the braces Din section.

The normal position of the rockers G is in accordance with theprinciplelaid down in the specification of my aforesaid formerpatentoidelicet, slightly inclined to the vertical line. To the middlerocker (or it may be to one of the other rockers) is attached or cast alever, F, the outer end of which carries a screw-pin, f, which bearsupon the plunger g ot'a shallow cylinder, Gr, carried by the girders b.This plunger acts upon a diaphragm, g", ot'leathcr or india-rubber orcorrugated metal or the like, bolted water-tight between the flanges ot'the said cylinder G and its cover, as shown clearly in Figs. 3 and 7,which t'ormer figure is a lotigitudiual section of the central part ofthe rail B and ot' the lever F. This arrangement of piston antidiaphragm may be replaced. by a plunger or ram sliding liquid-tight inthe cylinder G. Pipes It and h communicate respectively with theinterior of each cylinder G, each of the said pipes terminating in aninverted siphon, it 11. containing mercury. The other legs of the saidsiphons opposite those into which the said pipes h h open are connectedby a breeches-pipe, H, so that they both communicate with one pipe orT-piece lr", in which is held the graduated glass tube It, whichcontains the iudicatingliquid, and is led into the place where theindications of the apparatus are to be exhibited, as shown in Fig. 2.Fig. 12 is a vertical section, Fig. 13 a back vie\v,antl Fig. 14 a plan,of the pair of siphons.

The machine being in duplicate up to a certain point,anyload brought onthe rail of either side will force the liquid (by preference mercury) upits independent tube It h? independently of the other side, each sidethus forming ahydrostatic equilibrium of its own. Further, as the twopipes are afterward connected by abreeches-pipeopeningintooneindicating-tube, and as this brooches-pipeand the said indicating-tube contain a liquid of a very tnnch lessspecific gravity than that in the duplicate parts of the apparatus, thehydrostatic equilibrium oi the one sideot' the machine does notinterfere with that of the other side; but they both act mutually uponthe liquid of less spe' cific gravity to give one common indication oftheir combined displacement.

In the simplest form otthe machine the pipes of mercury contained insiphons.

h h would communicate with vertical pipes leading into the one commonindicating-tube; but in order tosave the expense ot'a large quantity ofmercury a cheaper fluid can intervene between the cylinders G and asmall quantity This is the arrangement shown in tbedrawings. The legs ofthe siphons into which the pipes h h open are continued upward, as shownin Figs. 2, l3, and 14, and are each provided with a screwplug, h Thebreeches-pipe H is also provided with a screw-plug, h. These plugs serveby adjustment to compensate for any leakage or evaporation or expansionand contraction of the mercury or of the liquid which fills the space inthe cylinders G, pipes h h and legs of the siphons [L h, into which theyopen between the under side of the diaphragm and the mercury in the saidsiphons. The mercury in the siphons should be at a level in each legwhen no load is on the machine.

The fulcra-plates or chairs E are cast with an elevated portion, theexact heightot the rails A and B. and forming a continuation thereof,the said chairs being also cast with a seating at e for the ends of therails. Figs.

4 and 5 are side elevations of one of the said chairs, and Fig. 6 is anend elevation of the same, looking in the direction of the arrow in Fig.:L, Fig. 4 showing the end of a rail in position and Fig. 5 showing alsothe end oi arail, B, and girder b, and a rocker, U, of the weighingapparatus. The chairs or iulcra-plates of each rail of the pair of railsB B E E are bound transversely together by means of tierods 6 and theyare fastened down to a level bed of concrete or stone or the like bybolts 6 To prevent the mercury being forced over the breeches-pipe H theliquid has communication from each of the c linders G to each of thepipes h h by a hole, '5, shown in Fig. 7, so much smaller in capacity orsectional area than the bore of the said pipes as to retard the tlow ofliquid sufliciently to prevent such overflow of mercury.

in using the apparatus the truck or vehicle to be weighed is run fromthe rails Aover the elevated portion 6 of the chairs E onto the rails B.The w ight of the said vehicle therefore causes a deflection of each ofthe rails B and their rockers G 0 upon their knife-edges, andconsequently the weight brought to bear on ear-h rail B is respectivelyand independently conveyed by the pipes h and 702 to the rnercrrry inthe siphons h h", owing to the pressure put through the lovers F uponthe pistons g of the cylinders G, forcing the liquid through the hole iof each cylinder into and along the said pipes h h and forcing (eachwith an irrdependent pressure) the mercury down in the legs on one sideof the said siphons and up in the other legs. The pressures arethereafter caused through the breeches-pipe H to conjoin and act uponthe liquid in the tube h, the extent of the rise of which willconsequently give the resultant of the loads brought to bear upon bothrails of the apparatus, or, in other words,

the total weight ot'the truck or vehicle and its contents. The tube hmay be transparent to show the indications, or the rise and fall of theliquid therein may. be ascertained by other suitable means.

Fig. represents a modification of the means for connecting the rails Bto their girders I). The rail B employed in this case is a doubleflangedchannel-rail, which is supported at intervals by cross pieces formed bythe body part of double T-pieces, as atj, bolted or riveted or otherwisefastened to the girders b.

Fig. 16 represents in longitudinal elevation, and Fig. 17 in transversesection, an apparatus similar to that hercinbetore described; butwherein, instead of the cylinders G and pipes for conveying the pressurethrough siphons to the indicating-tube h there is employed measuringapparatus of the kind described in the specification of British LettersPatent No. 3,700, granted to me as of the 4th day of October, in theyear of our Lord 1877. Each of the girders b and rails B are here shownas being formed in one casting mounted upon two rockers, Gone ateachend-the said girders and their corresponding rockers being firmly bracedand connected together by cross-bindiuggirder bars or the like. One ofthe rockers ot'one ot' the girders carries the lever F, which, actingagainst a spring, f operates a segmental rack, i, gearing with a pinion,it, upon a shalt, 1, extending to the place where the indications are tobe shown, and there carrying a graduated indicatirig-wheel, M, or beingconnected to other indicating device.

The lever F is analogous to the lever F shown in the drawings attachedto the prior specification of my said Patent 3.700, in the year of ourLord 1877, and the mechanism upon which it operates is arranged and actsin a manner essentially similar to that described in the said priorspecificatiom and therefore further description thereof is unnecessary.There is combined therewith for the purpose of preventing shocks by theload suddenly act ing upon the lever F a double cylinder, N. (Shown sepa'ately in vertical section in Fig. 1d.) The compartments of thiscylinder are separated by a partition, 12, and through the said cylinderand partition passes a rod, 1), adjustable in length and connected atone end with the lever F and at the other end with two diaphragms, q (1,of india-rubber, corrugated metal, or the like, one in each chamber ofthe double cylinder N. Thus liquid being in the one chamber, the lever Fcan only move at a rate determined by the rapidity with which the liquidcan pass out of this chamber into the other chamber through a small holein the partition n.

Fig. 19 represcntsin longitudinalelevation, and Fig. 20 in endelevation, partly in transverse section, another moditication of theapparatus. In this case, as in the preceding, the

gi ders I) and rails B of the apparatus are shown as being cast in one,and the two at each side, asalso their chairs E, are firmly connectedtogether. The rockers O are carried in slots in tubes or hollow or solidshafts 11-, which serve as distance-pieces and connectors for thecorresponding rockers of each rail B.

The lever F is carried by a continuation of one of the said tubes orshafts It, the outer end of the said lever being connected by the leveror connections with a Salters springba-lance, S, or otherweight-indicating apparatus.

' Although I have shown but one pair of machines, Figs. 1 to 15,yet itwill beevident that any number may be com binedin a similar manner-thatis to say, each with a separate hydrostatic equilibrium, the pressurefrom each machine being led to one indicator, essentially as described.For example, the machines may be arranged in lines of pairs and a wholetrain of trucks or the like be weighed by them and the whole weightindicated on one indicator. The machines may each be of any length toaccommodate one or more trucks or the like.

Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my saidinvention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carriedinto effect, I wish to be understood that I do not limit myself to theprecise details hereinbet'ore described, and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, as the same may be varied without departing fromthe nature of my invention; but

What 1 consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as theinvention secured to me by the hereinbefore in part recited LettersPatent, is-

l. The combination of rails or ways of a platformscale supported onrockers G and chairs, with a lever connected to one of said rockers andacting upon indicating mecha-n-. ism, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of two rails supported separately on rockers G andchairs, with a lever, F, connected to a rocker supporting each 1 rail,the two levers operating the same indii cating apparatus,substantiallyas described. t

3. The combination of the two rails or ways of a platform-weighingapparatus and independent weighing devices, substantially as described,with two tubes containingdense fluids acted on independently by said twoweighing devices, and a common indicating-tube with which both saidtubes con'nnunicate, all substantially as specified.

4. The combination of the rail or support of a platform'scale, rockersG, and lever with a cylinder and a diaphragm acted on by said lever,siphon-tube, and indicator, and a tube connecting the cylinder with thesiphon, all substantially as described.

5. The combination ot'the rail B and girders with rockers, lever F,actingon the indicating apparatus, and a supporting-chair, substantiallyas set forth.

6. The chair E, having a seat for one end of a fixed rail, an elevatedportion, a, and a knifeedge bearing for the rocker ot' a weighin apparatus.

7. The combination of the rail or support of a platform scale, rockersO, and lever F, having a. set-screw,f, with cylinder, diaphragm, andplunger g, the cylinder on the under side of the diaphragm communicatingwith an indicating-tube.

8. The combination of the railor support of a platform-scale, rockers O,and lever F with a cylinder containing a column of liquid acted on bysaid lever, indicator, and a contracted communicating passage, 6,substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

T. H. \VARD.

\Vitnesses J. Farmers BRAME,

Vice-Consul U. 8.11., Birmingham. JOHN M. Dwmnson,

U. S. Consulate, Birminghmn.

